User blog:SPARTAN 119/Toussaint Louverture vs Yemelyan Pugachev
Toussaint Louverture, former slave turned Haitian Revolutionary leader to won Haiti challenged to might of Napoleonic Empire in the name freedom. VS Yemelyan Pugachev, The Cossack rebel who claimed to be the true heir to the Russian throne fought against the armies of Catherine the Great. WHO IS DEADLIEST?! =Combatants= Toissaint Louverture Toussaint Louverture was born in French colony of Saint Domingue, present-day Haiti as a slave. His father was the son of a defeated king of Benin who was captured and sold to white slave traders, being sent to Haiti to work on a plantation. Little is known about Toussaint's early life, except that he was a slave until age 33, when he was freed in 1776. At some point in his life, Louverture became educated, possibly by Jesuit missionaries, being familiar with medicine and some familiarity with philosophy and political literature, as well as gaining a basic ability to write. Louverture amassed considerable wealth as a free man by 1789, when a slave revolt broke out, Louverture was initially not involved, but in 1791, he acted as a mediator between the rebels and the French leadership. Negotiations, however, broke down, though Louverture did prevent the massacre of white prisoners held by the rebels. In 1791, Louverture become committed to the abolition of slavery, and in 1792, Toissaint truly became a leader among the rebels, training his troops in both guerrilla warfare and in the "European" style of war. In 1793, Louverture fought a campaign against French forces, at this time taking on the surname Louverture. While Louverture was generally a royalist, when the French Revolutionary Government took abolished slavery in 1794, Louverture sided with the French, commanding military forces in Saint Domingue. During this time, he defeated Spanish and British incursions into Saint Domingue, as well as occasional small rebellions, and was eventually appointed territorial lieutenant governor, overseeing a period of tension between white landowners and former slaves, as well as a conflict with radical rival revolutionary Sonothonax. He later negotiated with the British in 1798, ending the conflict in exchange for guarantees that his anti-slavery revolution would not be extended to Jamaica and signed a similar treaty with the United States. In 1801, Louverture invaded and took control of Spanish Santo Domingo, in spite of being ordered not to by Napoleon Bonaparte and, in the same year, wrote a constitution offically prohibiting slavery anywhere on the island of Saint Domingue. In 1802, however, Napoleon sent a diplomatic envoy with secret orders to deport black officers and likely reinstate slavery led by Charles Leclerc. The envoy was refused permission to land and the French forces attacked and siezed Fort Liberté. Louverture retreated into the mountains and jungles and fought a guerrilla war against the French, in which many French soldiers died of in brutal fighting and of yellow fever. Louverture was captured in August 1802, Louverture was captured and sent to a prison in France, where he died in 1803. However, in November of 1802, Leclerc succumbed to yellow fever and in 1803, the French force were defeated by Haitian rebels under Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Haiti won its independence. Yemelyan Pugachev Yemelyan Pugachev was the son of a small Cossack land owner, who would go on to lead a major Cossack revolt to in Russia against tsarina Catherine II, claiming to be a rightful heir to the Russian throne. Pugachev began his military career at the age of 17 in the year 1759, fighting in the Seven Years War in Prussia and becoming the equivalent of a company commander by 1770. In 1770, Pugachev fell ill and deserted. Pugachev was arrested, but escaped fleeing to an independent Cossack community on the Terek River. Pugachev was arrested and escaped multiple times during his time as a fugitive, once while as an envoy for a group protesting the Russian government's treatment of the cossacks. It was during his time as a fugitive that Pugachev got the idea of impersonating the overthrown tsar Peter III, who was actually murdered by Catherine the II herself in 1762. In 1774, Pugachev gathered an army of cossacks and peasant and lower-class followers, promising reform. Pugachev's army grew so large that they seized large amounts of land between the Volga and the Urals. Pugachev's army captured numerous firearms and artillery, making them a formidable threat, seizing the city of Kazan in July, 1774. The rebellion lasted until September 1774, when Pugachev's army was defeated by Imperial Russian forces and Pugachev was captured. Pugachev was later beheaded and drawn and quartered on January 21st, 1775. =Weapons= Knives Machete (Toussaint) A machete is a large, heavy-bladed knife about 18 inches in length used in many tropical areas, most notably Latin America and Africa. The weapon is often used for cutting sugar cane and other mundane purposes, but it is used as a weapon to this day, particularly by peasant militias and rebels in Africa and Latin America. Kindjal (Pugachev) The Kindjal is a double-edged dagger used by the Cossacks. The weapon has a triangular blade ending in a sharp point, intended as a thrusting weapon. 119's Edge Toussiant's Machete for its greater reach. Swords Sabre de Cuirassier An IX (Toussaint) The Sabre de Cuirassier An IX was a French cavalry sabre designed in year nine after the French Revolution, or 1799. The Sabre had a curved blade about 97 centimeters in length, and a was designed for slashing at a target from horseback, thought it could be used dismounted. Note: the image is not an actual Modele IX, but rather as similar European sabre. Shashka (Pugachev) The Shashka is a single-edged sabre used by the Cossacks. The weapon had was distinctive for its lack of a handguard, and for its sharp, strong, heavy blade, giving it greater slashing power, especially from horseback. 119's Edge Pugachev's Shashka for is superior slashing power. Pistols Pistolet An IX (Toussaint) The Pistolet An IX was a flintlock pistol first issued in 1801 and widely used by the French Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Like all flintlock pistols, it used a spring mounted striker to ignite a powder charge in the pan, which in turn ignited the main charge. The flintlock pistols had a very short range, typically being most effective at as little as twenty feet or less. Russian Flintlock Pistol (Pugachev) A flintlock pistol is a short-barreled firearm that uses a spring mounted striker to ignite a powder charge in the pan, which in turn ignited the main charge. The flintlock pistols had a very short range, typically being most effective at as little as twenty feet or less. 119's Edge A both are essentially the same thing. Even Muskets Charleville 1777 Musket (Toussaint) The Charleville 1777 is was an upgrade on an older line of muskets dating back to 1714. The weapon was first standardized infantry firearm of the French Army, being a .69 caliber muzzle loading smoothbore firearm with a maximum range of 100-200 yards, but an effective range of only 50-75 yards, and was not particularly accurate. For this reason, the weapon was usually used in line formations, with multiple soldiers firing large volleys. Russian Flintlock Musket (Pugachev) The primary weapon of the Russian army during the time of Pugachev was a flintlock musket similar to the Charleville. The weapon likely had a similar effective range of the Charleville, about 50-75 yards. 119's Edge The weapons are similar enough to be called Even. =X-Factors= =Notes= *Battle will end in one week if my schedule and voter turnout permits. *Please vote on my fictional battle for this week: User blog:SPARTAN 119/Sayaka Miki (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) vs Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya (Sword Art Online) =Battle= Toussaint Louverture: Yemelyan Pugachev: Toussaint Louverture along with two men on horseback and four on foot enter a open field between the Haitian jungle and the seashore, on the other side of the field stand Yemelyan Pugachev, three mounted Cossacks, and four infantry. Toussaint assumes they must be hostile, and orders his infantry to open fire. Four Charleville muskets fire, one of their bullets hitting its mark, killing one of Pugachev's infantry with a bullet to the chest. Pugachev's infantry open fire, killing one of the Toissaint's infantry and killing the horses of all three of the Louverture's cavalry. Pugachev's cavalry and infantry charge the now all dismounted Haitians. Toissaint, however, is not intimidated, and orders his musketeers to fire a second volley into the charging Cossacks. One of the Cossack cavalry was shot off his horse, another had his mount shot out from under him, as Russian infantry man fell to the ground, a musket ball through his forehead. Pugachev urged his men forward in spite of the lost of most of his cavalry, firing his flintlock pistol and killing a man to right of Toissaint . Toussaint drew his An IX pistol, and fired at Yemelyan, but missed, the bullet instead hitting his horse in the head, killing it and causing Yemelyan to roll forward off his mount. Pugachevs' remaining men closed in around him, getting between him and Toussaint's forces. One of Pugachev's musketeers fired, cutting down one Toissaint's soldiers. Toissaint drew his An IX Sabre and led his men towards the Pugachev's Cossacks, who drew their swords and kindjals in response. Toissaint's men drew first blood when a Haitian rebel ran through one of the Cossacks with a machete. . Another Haitian ran at another of Pugachev's men, wielding the butt of his musket like a club. The Cossack, however, ducked the blow and stabbed his Haitian through the chest twice with his kindjal. A Haitian soldier fires an An IX pistol at the Cossack with the kindjal at point blank range, killing him, before the Haitian himself fell to Yemelyan Pugachev's shashka. . The last Haitian soldier tried to defend himself from Pugachev's attacks with his machete, but he mistimed his swing was left himself open. Pugachev ran him through with his machete. . At the same time, Louverture evaded and attack from Pugachev's last soldier's kindjal and cut his throat with his sabre. Louverture and Pugachev turned to face each other and charged. Pugachev swung his shashka in a wide arc, which Toissaint blocked, but he lost balance and fell on his back, dropping his sabre. Toussaint rolled out of the way of a downward thrust from Pugachev's shashka and grabbed a machete lying next to the body of one of his fallen comrades. Louverture made a wide slash with the machete, which chopped off Pugachev's hand in a spray of blood, before making a second slash that went half way through Pugachev's neck, killing him. Toussaint raised the bloody machete and shouted in triumph. WINNER: Toissaint Louverture Experts Opinion Toussaint Louverture won this battle for his superior tactical knowledge, leadership, and intelligence, allowing him to outsmart and defeat Pugachev in spite of his greater skill in mounted combat. For original battle, weapons, and votes, click here. Category:Blog posts